Vehicles that do jobs often hold serious resale value. Just look at what lightly used subcompact cars or cargo vans command compared to their prices when new, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. This leaves people who tow in a bit of a pickle. Late-model trucks are pretty pricey, and most full-size SUVs from the same period command serious moolah. Thankfully, there’s an exception to every rule, and that exception is the second-generation Nissan Armada.
The Armada is a great example of sticking to a solid formula, and although it might not have made the same showroom impression as a GMC Yukon, you can now pick up a gently used Armada for way, way less than one of its competitors and feel confident in keeping it for the long-haul.
Truthfully, I’d pushed the Armada to the back of my mind until member Stephan emailed us to share the fantastic experience he’s been having with his second-generation Armada. It’s a perfectly cromulent SUV, with moderately posh appointments thanks to twinning with the Infiniti QX80, and it’s now a screaming bargain.
While the Armada originally launched as a Titan pickup truck-based SUV, for 2017, it basically became a rebadged Nissan Patrol, a major Land Cruiser competitor in other markets. That means it’s appointed more like an Infiniti than a regular Nissan, with available creature comforts like semi-aniline leather, heated and cooled front seats, a 360-degree camera system, and woodgrain galore. An update for 2021 added a new center stack and a bunch of tech including wireless Apple CarPlay, making the Armada a pretty nice rig to put some miles on.
Under the hood sits a 5.6-liter VK56VD V8 engine pumping out 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque, increased to 400 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft. of torque for 2021. Hitched to a fairly solid seven-speed automatic transmission, this combination lets the second-generation Armada tow up to 8,500 pounds, a respectable if not class-leading number. However, the real appeal of this powertrain isn’t just predictable power delivery, it’s that other than irregular tolerances in a few 2017 model year engines, it just keeps on trucking. Avoid the first model year just in case, simply do the routine maintenance, and it’ll treat you alright.
It’s the same deal with the platform. Sure, it might still use hydraulic power steering and the ride quality isn’t as buttoned-down as on a Chevrolet Tahoe, but the solid rear axle is simple stuff, and both brakes and suspension parts are reasonably priced. As a bonus, the second-generation Armada seems to have fixed the differential issues and cracked manifolds that affected first-generation models, so it really is a solid, if slightly outdated-feeling performer with a relaxed attitude. As Car And Driver wrote in a road test of the 2021 model:
The posh ambiance of the Platinum model is a prelude to how the Armada conducts itself on the road. There’s effortless power underfoot; the last Armada we tested got to 60 mph in less than six seconds, and we expect the same of the new one. Its ride is pleasantly hushed, and it traverses bumps and ruts with admirable suppleness despite rolling on 22-inch wheels. This is a relaxed cruiser with not a whiff of playfulness to its steering, brakes, or handling. But the Armada does drive competently and comfortably—which for a lot of SUV buyers is more than enough. Towing capacity is a stout 8500 pounds.
On the road, the second-generation Armada has the confident, trustworthy feel of a GMT800 Tahoe, but with a far nicer interior. However, even if it isn’t as roomy as the domestic competition, rock-bottom pricing can do a lot to sway buying influence. Want leather, four-wheel-drive, and the confidence of a certified pre-owned warranty? Here’s a 2023 Armada SL with 61,006 miles on the clock up for sale at a Nissan dealer in Texas for $36,883. That’s right, this thing’s only two years old.
However, if you’re willing to look at non-certified pre-owned examples, aren’t picky on trim, and don’t mind a bit more mileage, that’s where things get really cheap. How about a 2022 Armada SV with four-wheel-drive and 71,689 miles on the clock for $26,994? This black example’s listed for sale in Connecticut, and it’s physically an immense amount of car for the money.
Oh yeah, and things can get even cheaper from here if you’re okay with a pre-facelift model with higher mileage and a minor hit on the Carfax. This 2019 Armada SL Premium has 91,207 miles on the clock, and it’s up for sale in New Jersey for a mere $18,990. You likely aren’t getting an American full-size body-on-frame SUV this new for this cheap, making the Armada a serious deal.
So, if you need to tow something big and need a recent body-on-frame SUV for compact crossover money, why not take a 2018 or newer second-generation Nissan Armada for a spin? It’ll get you and your trailer where you need to go, and from where I’m sitting, it looks like a screaming deal.
[Hat-tip to Stephan!]
Top graphic credit: Nissan
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The engine in these is not reliable. They may be 100k mile reliable sure, but what engine isn’t these days. It’s the 100k to 200k that get you. In my humble opinion the nissan v8 is just not a very good engine.
honestly, with all the Cylinder deactivation and poor design/part quality issues. Way more engines than should be are barely 80K reliable.
I have access to a great deal of data that says otherwise. While the current VD series of the VK56 isn’t quite as reliable as the previous DE version, its still the second most reliable V8 fullsize powertrain, second only to the Toyota V8s. Frequency of powertrain repair, and cost of repairs, are both lower than any of the domestic big 3.
Nissan has struggled a lot in the last decade or two, but I do believe they got their V8s correct.
I’ve seen extensive repair data on Armada’s. Average repair cost of ownership is actually pretty good. Its not Toyota good, but its still pretty low. Major powertrain items have proven pretty reliable mechanically, and other repairs are affordable. I think Armada’s a great vehicle, but especially when you consider the bang for the buck by comparison.
Certainly makes a compelling decision point over a Sequoia considering the sequoia gives up a 1000 to 1400 lbs of tow capacity.
Honestly, the worst thing about the first gen Armadas is their interior plastics. Unfortunately, those get crazy brittle. You will see many otherwise clean looking Titans and Armadas that are missing knobs on the dash, the overhead plastic units are falling off because their tabs break, etc. But my parents have owned a Titan and Armada for a number of years now and outside of a radiator, they haven’t had anything outside of maintenance. Both well over 100K miles.
Minor quibble: no generation of Armada has had a solid rear axle; they have all had independent rear suspension. Ditto for all versions of the big Infiniti SUV (QX56, QX80), and even the related versions of the Patrol.
First Gen Armada did, the 2017 on had fully independent suspension.
Real world experience & excellent reviewing by Ethan Tufts on his Hello Road YouTube channel:
Purchase / intro : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6J2NL8kfrQ
Wheel & tire upgrade / off-road : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epo3Rv7fe7E
Except these had the notorious problem where the catalytic converters fall apart and get sucked into the engine.
I don’t think thats quite how the cat failure is causing a failed engine. Engines don’t suck things back up their exhaust stream?
his explanation of the problem is the same that I have heard from many as well. I have some trouble picturing how that happens as well, but I have seen the pre-cats get clogged by main cat disintegration. again not really even sure how that occurs, but once it plugs the pre-cat the engine does run sluggish. not sure how that destroys the engine exactly though.
Good news though, nissan titans and armada’s are pretty high up on the Cat theft list. so they might not fail before being thieved.
Wasn’t that only on pre-2010 engines? It’s been like 15 years since then.
>$25k with 61,000 miles is cheap?
Compared to the competition, yes. Unfortunately.
Also, that mileage was put on in 2 years.
At least the engine will last longer than the 6.2L GM in the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade siblings. This seems to be on pair with the previous V8 in the Tacoma/Sequoia on reliability. Big engine under stressed with not the best mpg but it gets the job done.
This thing always gave “we have Land Cruiser at home” to me.
It’s very ugly, but I love deals and if I were in need of a massive BOF SUV, I’d probably consider it as I have a penchant for buying forgotten, not-entirely competitive vehicles.
That’s how I ended up with mine. Because of how few were made, and their reputation, 2016-2020 LC200s and LX570s are spendy. I wanted a three row SUV toe vehicle, and this thing fit the bill.
Not only that, the LX 570 and even the current LX 600 are really 5+2s. Between their solid rear axles, off-road-optimized spring angles and abbreviated length, they’re pretty cramped in the rear.
And besides, it’s not like the 2016-and-later LX was any better-looking.
Best. Username. Ever.
My wife and I put just over 1,000 miles on the Infiniti QX80 version of this, driving through a storm up the West Coast in early 2023.
Honestly, I thought it was a fantastic vehicle. It was dead quiet, plenty powerful, good transmission, nice interior.
The main thing I remember though was the ride quality. The ride was so beautifully soft that it just silently seemed to iron out every bump. We nicknamed it “Puffalump” by the time we were done with it because it was like riding a marshmallow (I mean that as a positive!).
The trade off was that it wasn’t great at high speed corners – there was no “sportiness” to the handling whatsoever.
By comparison, it made my 2007 Escalade feel like it handles like a sports car, but also made the Escalade’s ride seem incredibly firm.
It was dead solid through the big storm, and we were appreciative that we were in something high up when trying to escape flooding outside of San Francisco.
I looked a little into their reliability and found that the main “gotcha” was that when the catalytic converters fail, they can be sucked back into the engine and grenade the whole thing. Apparently this is due to the specific cycle that engine runs on, with the valve overlap making it more likely for the broken cat parts to get sucked back up.
Oh, and I also remember that the direct injection was noisy, and made it sound like a diesel at idle with the windows down!
I was trying to fly out of San Francisco during that storm! Wild times.
Whoa, I bet that was fun!
San Francisco was completely dead because of the storm the second night we were there – it was like we had the waterfront to ourselves!
We tried driving North on Route 1 the next day, but I realized I was spending more time looking through the sunroof to check for falling trees than I was looking forward.
Eventually we got to some downed trees and had to turn back and took the 101 instead.
If Nissan truly doesn’t survive the next few years, setting money on fire to bother releasing this and the second generation Titan in the US when they had a $11 development budget for the entire rest of their lineup should be in the obituary.
Hopefully before the fourth paragraph, I guess.
As stated above – does the US market Armada really have a solid rear axle?
The “twin under the skin” Nissan Patrol has IRS
It does not, a minot error in the reporting here. Armadas have always had IRS.
I thought that might be the case. The Armada/Patrol really is an underestimated towing vehicle. There’s heaps towing large caravans here in Australia, not as prevalent as the LandCruiser though due to no diesel option, but still a highly capable and good value for money tow rig.
I know several people who got tired of paying the Toyota and truck tax and started get qx80s as tow pigs because they are dirt cheap. The first gen 5.6 are ok I guess if it’s under $5k fine. They buy them for like $2k to $4k. It’s one of those things where the more expensive new version depreciates alot faster then the cheaper version. I’ve seen the 2015s for about $5k with about 150k miles. They seem okish for what they are. With the issues with the ls of the same era it could be the safer bet.
It’s really just the front fender vent that ruins them for me.
I once had a Sentra penalize me through Oklahoma, but I doubt an Armada has those problems.
“Armada” is the greatest name ever for a huge SUV.
We’ve had our 2020 for 2 and a half years now, it’s been rock solid. It tows 5-6k lbs with ease, but you need to keep the relatively short wheelbase in mind. That means a 25 ft 2 axle camper is about the largest thing you want to tow long distance even if you’re well below 8500 lbs.
MPG is not great but it’s a heavy 4WD beast with a V8.
They have some common problems that are good to be aware of:
Overall 2017-2019 seem to have way more problems, 2020 and up are much better.
2021 had some fan clutch problems, I haven’t heard or seen anything about 2022-2024 models.
Drove a QX80 as rental a couple times. Liked the power and it was pretty comfy; preferred the Tahoe or Expedition in the class, but I’d take these over a Wagoneer.
I guess I’m getting old but paying 15k plus with that kind of mileage feels too expensive to me.
I lost hope 3 paragraphs in. Can we stop writing articles that take 4 paragraphs to get to the point?
This entire article (including a 107 word quote) is 850 words, half the length of a standard high school essay. Is your attention span so fried from social media that you can’t sit and read for a little longer and need everything fed to you ASAP?
Could you summarize that? I couldn’t even get past the first comma before… Ooo squirrel!
The point was outlined in the title of the article.
I mean this genuinely: you have posted two times this week about losing focus on pretty short articles. You should consider mentioning difficulty focusing to a doctor.
You lost hope because you’ve been harassing writers in the comments to write about your pet issue of “Chinese cars being surveillance weapons”, including the UK military base restriction for personal vehicles. If you’re going to randomly take potshots at articles, consider starting your own website.
Yup.
I really wish we could ignore users, this place deserves that option.
Ya, this guy jumped on one of my comments too.
Realiable? Anecdotally, I’d disagree.
Those I know who own one love them, but are constantly down for repairs.
So despite having replaced (all in less than 5 years) rear suspension airbags, charging system, shift linkages, countless batteries, and more – it starts to feel that it comes pretty close to this barge’s fuel consumption
I’ve heard the same from my buddy who runs a Firestone. They’re really not reliable at all, and ironically his wife still insisted on buying a QX80 over an Escalade because she thought it looked better
She might have dodged the 6.2 issues then off superficial concerns
These are a super popular caravan tow vehicle here in Australia.
Also, these have an independent rear suspension – not a solid axle.
My father’s Izuzu Axiom recently went to the scrapyard. Got anything with 4wd or awd in the that depreciated into the sub $4000 range?
Look at previous generation Armadas and QX56s/QX80s. They will be older and a bit fuzzier around the edges, but my wife’s 2008 QX56 is still a posh, strong-running rig just this side of 250,000 miles. The closest thing to a major repair that it needs? We might be looking down the barrel of a $1200+ ignition switch replacement. It tows our 5000-pound camper without complaint, and it hauls around our dogs and my wife’s sculpture supplies with lots of room to spare.
$4k might be a stretch, but hers was only eight grand in 2017, with 185k miles. Look around.
An excellent suggestion, I found one for 5k nearby but with a bad differential, I’ll have to keep looking occasionally.
The qx56 / qx80s are out there for that kind of money it’s just a terirble time right now. Wait a few months they will show back up again. The first gens sell for $3k regularly in most areas. You can find some newer ones for not much more sometimes. They can be big sellers at the buy here pay here lots because they go for nothing at auction and people think they are fancy so go get them with their tax return.
Interesting to see the Axiom mentioned after that article earlier. Might be paying more attention to mentions.
I did a double take when it first pulled into my driveway, what an interesting but unfortunately unreliable vehicle.
My in-laws rented a ’22 Armada for a family trip over the holidays this past winter, and I ended up doing most of the driving. Here’s a forum thread I found at the time…yes, I was spending time on vacation trying to figure out what was wrong with the damn thing, and apparently it’s extremely common. When the clutch fan kicked on, it was loud as all get out, super sluggish, and gas mileage went way down, and over the course of a few days the problem went from intermittent to almost all the time.
There was also a constant clicking sound at highway speed from a piece of misaligned trim at the top of the windshield, but for all I know the windshield had been replaced. Anyway, my impression was not positive.
I am not one to defend the Armada, but please do not blame a windshield replacement on a manufacturer. I have had a wiper blade come loose, rust caused by their gasket cutting wires, and two instances of plastic cowling trim broken (and hidden both times). Last week my daughter was wondering why her windshield washers were no longer working (ironically a week after a windshield replacement). We were able to diagnose what they missed over a video call, fortunately. I hate to generalize, but windshield replacement technicians are generally mouth-breathers. I cannot pin their work on a specific model of car. Nor will I blame Infiniti for the cheapest Chinese tire the Avis could locate on my QX56.
I am not one to defend the Armada, but please do not blame a windshield replacement on a manufacturer. I have had a wiper blade come loose, rust caused by their gasket cutting wires, and two instances of plastic cowling trim broken (and hidden both times). Last week my daughter was wondering why her windshield washers were no longer working (ironically a week after a windshield replacement). We were able to diagnose what they missed over a video call, fortunately. I hate to generalize, but windshield replacement technicians are generally mouth-breathers. I cannot pin their work on a specific model of car. Nor will I blame Infiniti for the cheapest Chinese tires the Avis could locate on my QX56.
I suspect a windshield replacement, but had no way of knowing, and if that was the case of course I wouldn’t hold it against Nissan. Certainly they have a problem on their hands with the clutch fan issue, however.
This thing still had a mechanical fan clutch?
So do all years of the GX460. Again simplicity is desirable in many way.
I hate these fucking things. I get them and their infiniti counterparts as rental cars way too often. Probably because Nissan can’t sell them to retail customers. If you want a great deal on a towing machine on a budget, look at a full size van. If you must have an SUV, the Durango is can tow as much and is a far better driver.
FYI – not a solid rear axle
Thank you for succumbing to my shameless Armada propaganda. They are magnificent stupid machines sold at sub-Outback prices with capabilities that give the segment a run for its money, and a look only a mother could love.
Compared to Tahoes, Yukons, and even the QX80 twin or fugly Wagoneer, these are downright rare near me. I’ve always heard good things about them, and they’re about as unpretentious as a large SUV can get. I’m happy with a minivan, but if I needed towing and light offroading, this is a sold choice.